On Medha's appeal, six activists end strike

Medha Patkar, who is in AIIMS, will continue her fast along with Bhagwati Bhen and Jamsingh Bhai.

Six out of 11 Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) activists called off their hunger strike following an appeal by their leader Medha Patkar, who however is continuing with her fast.

Claiming that "the visit by three union ministers to the Sardar Sarovar dam site and their interaction with those displaced by the project has not yielded results till this moment", the NBA feels the need to intensify the struggle in different and stronger ways, JNU student union President Mona Das told reporters in New Delhi on Tuesday.

The move came a day after the ministers submitted their report to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on their just-concluded visit to the Narmada valley.

Patkar, who is in AIIMS, will continue her fast along with two of her colleagues Bhagwati Bhen and Jamsingh Bhai and were recently joined by two more NBA activists -- Ranvir Singh Rathore and Om Prakash Sandhu.

The activists, who ended their strike, include four students of Jawaharlal Nehru University. The two others are from Gujarat.

"I appeal to all the fasting colleagues to and comrades to withdraw the fast and continue the satyagraha with the torch held by them and others", Patkar said.

"With the life of the most ancient valley at stake, I have decided to continue my fast as a satyagraha till the end of the battle," she said.